


Rebuild

by GuineapigQueen



Series: 400 Followers Requests [2]
Category: South Park
Genre: Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Injury, M/M, Underage Drinking, teenagers being dumb
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 10:00:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23849341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GuineapigQueen/pseuds/GuineapigQueen
Summary: “I’m flying Craig!” Tweek cries from the top of the concrete slab. Craig doesn’t answer, only sighs. He sinks down knowing he’s gonna let it happen. He doesn’t want to let it happen but the alcohol has made him slow. Kinda in the same way the drugs have made Tweek fast. They’re out of sync with no way of catching up until sobriety. So Craig just watches, letting it happen. Like he’s watching his own body do nothing. The inner voice tells him to move, to stop it but the body can’t unstick itself from the ground.
Relationships: Craig Tucker/Tweek Tweak
Series: 400 Followers Requests [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1718590
Kudos: 37





	Rebuild

**Author's Note:**

> This is the second request for my 400 followers series. I changed it a little and gave Tweek a head injury, I hope that's okay. My brain just saw all these moments between Craig and both Mom's so I had to go with them. Hope you like it though :)

“I’m flying Craig!” Tweek cries from the top of the concrete slab. Craig doesn’t answer, only sighs. He sinks down knowing he’s gonna let it happen. He doesn’t  _ want  _ to let it happen but the alcohol has made him slow. Kinda in the same way the drugs have made Tweek fast. They’re out of sync with no way of catching up until sobriety. So Craig just watches, letting it happen. Like he’s watching his own body do nothing. The inner voice tells him to move, to stop it but the body can’t unstick itself from the ground. 

The concrete slab is just raised high enough. It’s an old abandoned car park and Craig has no idea what that slab used to be. He definitely can’t discern in this state. Tweek wanted to try something new, bored with depressants bringing him down. They always come here to get fucked up. It’s desolate and private, they can do whatever without interruption and judgement. Craig hadn’t expected Tweek to freak the fuck out though, like five minutes ago he’d been trying to punch the concrete slab. Now he was on some kinda euphoric high and was riding that wave. Craig was gonna remind him never to take this shit again when this was all over. Craig doesn’t even know what he did take exactly, it was in a powder and they snorted it, Craig didn’t take any because he doesn’t feel like he needs to. Plus he doesn’t trust it to be clean, Kenny got it and never says where from. So Craig is slowed but he’s still the closest to earth out of the lot of them. 

He wants to stop it but he isn’t fast enough. Before he can even yell at Tweek to get the fuck down Tweek’s form has disappeared. Followed by a smack. The cracking echoes throughout the empty car park. Craig knows what has happened. Tweek doesn’t make a sound. His feet finally unstick and he runs down to the bottom of the slab. It’s a car park so it’s all concrete on concrete. Concrete on skin, bone, blood.

“Oh shit!” A bunch of people cry and before Craig can even establish if Tweek is breathing they all scatter. They know an ambulance will have to be called and they won’t run the chance of being caught. Not even if Tweek dies.

Craig won’t do that. He loves Tweek, he’d get done for possession a hundred times over if it meant Tweek would be okay. So he calls an ambulance. Tweek is breathing, but it’s shallow, Craig is worried it could stop at any minute. There’s blood on the floor and his arms are looking mangled. Craig supposes he used them to try and break his fall. He still hit his head anyway. Craig is scared, but adrenaline takes over, he can’t cry just yet. He stays with Tweek and waits for the ambulance, he makes sure he keeps breathing and clutches Tweek’s lifeless hand. Tweek is more important than anything else. He tries to remind his drunk brain never to do this again, to never take such dumb risks just because they’re bored teenagers. He’s not gonna complain about it ever again. 

When the ambulance arrives Craig is pushed to the background. Craig doesn't know anything about medicine but he assumes they are trying to stabilize Tweeks head and his arms. Craig can only sit back and watch. He answers all the questions the paramedics ask and hangs at the back of the ambulance, helpless. He's honest, he has to be. Tweek was high as balls when he jumped, there's no point lying and now all Craig cares about is Tweek getting the treatment he needs. 

Craig rides with them to the hospital but almost as soon as they get there he's left in the dust. He's confined to a waiting room. Left alone in a quiet room after the rush and flashing lights. 

He doesn't know what to do so he does the only thing he can think of. He knows he will get himself in trouble but it's so beyond him now. He calls his mom.

—

Craig's mom jumps straight in the car and drives to the hospital. He supposes that's a pretty natural reaction to your kid ringing you past midnight in tears. But still Craig appreciates it. He didn't know who else he could call, all their friends scattered and showed their true colours. Sometimes you just want your mom, no matter the situation. 

He also tried to call Tweeks parents several times but recives no answer. He's disappointed but not surprised, he's just going to have to let the cops handle that. In the meantime he will stay here and wait. He'll stay until he is allowed to visit and then he will stay by Tweeks side until he is kicked out. 

He can't stop shaking, unable to quite process what has happened. He goes from being desperately silent to breaking into sobs and feeling like he cannot control any of these emotions. The events have sobered him up properly; he feels like he's aware and here now, just shocked. He can't entertain the thought of Tweek maybe dying from a head injury or something. He keeps telling himself that Tweek will be okay, he's young and the wall wasn't that high. He leaves out the part where he fell directly on to concrete. The sound of Tweeks head cracking open keeps replaying in his head. He just wishes he could have stopped it.

He's in this cycle of overthinking and blaming himself when his mom arrives. She's literally in her pyjamas, apparently she just hopped straight in the car. 

"Any news?" She asks, sitting down next to him and pulling him into a hug.

Craig shakes his head, almost as soon as his head hits her shoulder he begins to cry again.

"It's all my fault" he says between sobs.

"From what you said on the phone it sounds like a total accident" she says, rubbing his back.

"I didn't stop him, I could see that it was going to happen but I couldn't move fast enough to stop it" he mumbles through his tears. 

"That's not your fault, being out late and drinking maybe was the smartest idea but you can't control Tweeks actions" she says. He had told her the truth, there's no point in lying. He snuck out behind her back, has been drinking and let his high as fuck boyfriend jump off a concrete wall. He can't believe she's not yelling at him. 

"I'm sorry, I won't do anything like that ever again. I've learned my lesson, I won't let Tweek do it ever again" he tells her. He means it, he never, ever wants to be in a dangerous situation like this again. 

"I can see that, there's no point berating you right now. You can't control what Tweek does but you can always try to be a good influence on him" she says in a calming tone. Craig appreciates her being a soothing influence, he doesn't think he could stay this calm on his own. 

"I know, I know. If he wants to do this again I'm just gonna not participate" he vows.

"Seems like that's the best idea, let's just focus on getting through this and helping him" she replies "lets not get too far ahead of ourselves."

"Okay, thanks for coming I just… I just needed you" he says gratefully. 

"That's more than okay, do Tweeks parents know what's happened?" She asks him. He figures she would want to know this. She's a parent herself, she'd want to know if her kid was in trauma with a head injury. 

"I don't know. I called them a few times but they didn't pick up so the cops were going to go tell them" Craig admits. He tried but Tweeks parents are pretty notoriously absent. 

"Okay, at least someone is going to tell them" she says "you did your best." 

"I hope they come, I'd want my parents if that was me" Craig feels so horrible for Tweek. Does he feel scared and alone? Does he even know what has happened to him?

"I'm sure they will come, but until then we can support him" his mom comforts. 

"Okay sure" Craig replies, losing his energy rapidly. 

Craig buries his face into her shoulder and let's himself take a deep breath.

"Try to rest" she says, "as soon as there's news I'll wake you."

Craig tries to resist, he doesn't want to. But his mother's arms are warm, her scent is comforting and gis rebellious eyes begin to flutter closed 

—

It's the longest night of Craig's life, but Tweek pulls through. He has a badly broken arm and nobody can be quite sure the full extent of his head injury. Not yet anyway. He's done some damage to his neck, but probably nothing permanent. Craig isn't allowed to see him after he came out of brain surgery though. Only Tweeks parents were allowed in. They kindly passed on updates to Craig and his mom though. 

A bunch of their friends from that night have messaged Craig and asked how Tweek is. Craig ignores them, exhausted and angry. They abandoned Tweek, he's not interested in talking to them right now. 

Craig is half asleep when Tweeks mom shuffles into the waiting room. They haven't moved so she knows exactly where to find them.

"Tweek woke up," she says with a small smile.

"Is he okay?" Craig sits bolt upright. 

"He asked for you," Mrs Tweak says, "he's better, I think. I'm not sure, his brain is still recovering."

"Am I allowed to see him?" Craig asks, not wanting to get his hopes up too high.

"Yes, I think that's a good idea. He's asking for you and I think it would make him feel a lot better to see u" you” she says. This incident seems to have shaken her and her niceness seems real. Often Craig used to wonder if she was a doll, every expression seeming painted on and fake. Right now, he feels like he’s finally seeing the real thing. “Come with me” she says, “I think you’ll have to wait here though Laura, I’m sorry.”

His mom just nods, understating how limited Tweek’s visitor restrictions are at the moment. Craig has never known anyone in this kind of situation before, he’s never been to the hospital before. He acknowledges that he is lucky for that, but he’s got no experience with a general day ward, let alone emergency trauma or the ICU. Craig gets up and gingerly follows Mrs. Tweak out of the waiting room and down the hallway.

“I sent Tweeks dad out for coffee” she explains “if you’re with me we both should be allowed through.” 

“Is he only allowed two visitors?” Craig asks her, a lot of his updates have been choppy and second hand from the Tweaks. Now he has the time to ask what is really going on. 

“At the moment but I think they will loosen the reins soon, he’s doing really well considering his injury” she says with a small nod. 

“What is he like… just so I can prepare myself?” Craig asks nervously. He hates to ask, but he doesn’t want to walk in that room and be so shocked he distresses Tweek. He knows he will love Tweek no matter how injured his head and face is but he’s still not sure how he will react to the sight. He also doesn’t know how Tweek will behave either. That’s the part he’s most afraid of, that maybe the injury has caused Tweek to lose some of his personality.

“He doesn’t really look like himself. His face is swollen and bruised and he had to have part of his head shaved. He has stitches on the side of his head and his arm is in a cast…” Mrs Tweak explains. So matter of factly, like she’s reading a shopping list. Craig supposes she’s trying to distance herself from the trauma of the events. 

“Sorry, no, I meant like… his personality?” Craig presses, unsure if he wants to know the answer. 

“It’s a bit hard to tell at the moment, he can speak but he’s a bit slow and sometimes he forgets what he’s trying to say. He doesn’t remember everything you tell him but he remembers most of the past… like he knows who he is, that we’re his parents and that you’re dating him. He might ask you the same question several times though, just answer him and don’t point it out. He doesn’t know he’s doing it. I think he’s okay though, he’s still him…” she explains cautiously, clearly trying not to scare him. 

“Thank you, for letting me in to see him, I know you could’ve said no” Craig admits quietly. He's surprised they aren't blaming him, to be honest. 

“He's asking for you, plus you’re the one that helped him that night. We might not have him here with us if you hadn’t called the ambulance and been so through with them” she says as they reach the doors to the ICU. She presses a button, which Craig assumes alerts a nurse to let them into the ward. 

“I barely even remember that now, it’s like a blur… like it happened a really long time ago” Craig tells her. He knows he did stuff in that time and that he assisted the paramedics with information but the details are very foggy. 

“That’s probably just shock, but his doctor told me that the paramedics were impressed with you during the hand off” Mrs Tweak replies, smiling kindly. 

“I tried, I mean, I love him and I want to help him” is all Craig can think to say back. It's common sense isn't it? Tweek is his boyfriend and Craig loves him, he never wants to see Tweek hurt and wants to help him any way. 

“I know you do, darling” she hums. The nurse on the other side unlocks the door and let's them in. 

"You've brought a guest?" The nurse asks Mrs Tweak.

"This is Craig," she says warmly, "he's family."

—

Craig is overjoyed to finally see Tweek again. The relief that Tweek is alive, awake and talking overpowers any fears Craig had about seeing Tweek broken and bruised. Tweeks face lights up instantly when Craig enters the room. He's swollen and discolored but Craig can still see the smile and the sparkle in his eyes. 

"Craig! Where have you  _ -nnn-  _ been?" Tweek asks, Craig smiles at the sound of his voice. 

"I've been in the waiting room. The doctors only were letting your parents visit until now" Craig explains. 

"Oh, yeah. It's good you can  _ -ah-  _ come now. I missed you" Tweek says, his speech is a little slurred and definitely slower. Normally Tweek is a fast talker and a ranter. It's weird hearing his voice slowed down, Craig isn't sure if it's drugs that he's on or a head injury thing. Maybe both. 

"I've missed you too, I'm so happy you're okay" Craig beams. He can't help it. He's just so happy that he can talk to his boyfriend. Last night he wasn't even sure if Tweek would wake up at all. 

"I might give you guys a minute alone" Mrs Tweek says. Craig smiles at her thankfully as she heads out of the room. Craig is grateful for some time just to talk with Tweek and figure out what the situation is. 

"Hey, do you  _ -nggh-  _ know what happened to my head?" Tweek asks. At first Craig is confused, surely the doctors or his parents would have told him by now. Then he remembers Mrs Tweak telling him that Tweeks short term memory is shot. 

"You hit it, we got too wasted and you fell" he explains, keeping it simple but truthful. 

"Oh, damn. That was  _ -ah-  _ stupid of me" Tweek says regretfully. 

"A bit, but I still love you" Craig says with a fond smile.

"I want to… I think I'm like, uh, yeah… stupid now" Tweek struggles to get out. Craig is patient and let's him get there on his own. He hates watching though. 

"Not at all, you have some re learning to do that's all" he tries to comfort. 

"Ugh, I don't wanna go back to  _ -hnng-  _ school" Tweek groans, misinterpreting Craig's statement. 

"No I meant your brain, you have to retain your brain to do things" Craig explains with a small laugh. 

"Right, yeah. I knew that. Hey, where did my mom go?" Tweek asks. 

"She's just outside. She wanted to give us some time alone" Craig replies patiently. He could see how this could become difficult in the future, hopefully his memory will improve as he recovers. 

"Oh yeah. Well, I'm sorry I  _ -nnn-  _ put you through this" Tweek says, suddenly changing tack. 

"It was an accident, let's just not do risky shit like that anymore" Craig says. He's had enough teenage rebellion for the rest of his life. He wants to stay home, get fat and be homebodies forever. 

"Yeah, I have such a headache like, all the time now. I never wanna  _ -gah-  _ party again" Tweek says with a frown. Craig isn't sure if Tweek is trying to be funny but he laughs lightly anyway. 

"Ok babe, never again. I'd be happy to stay home and watch Netflix forever if it means I get to do it with you" Craig replies. He means it, he wants to be with Tweek forever and he wants to do it happily. He wants a boring but happy life. No drama or drugged out shenanigans. 

"Aww, you're sweet. I love you" Tweek says happily.

"I love you too, you're so strong" Craig tells him sincerely. 

"Don't leave me okay?" Tweek says, again suddenly changing the mood. He seems suddenly a little more lucid and serious. "Even though my brains  _ -nghh-  _ messed up and I'm probably gonna  _ -hnn-  _ ask you the same question a million times and I can't walk quite yet." 

Craig brings the chair he has been sitting in at Tweeks bedside a little closer. He sighs sadly and takes Tweeks hand in his. 

"Hey, no way! I'm never gonna leave you. I'm seeing you through this and watching you kick all your recovery goals" he promises, squeezing Tweeks hand. 

"I want to be with you forever, you  _ -gah-  _ saved my life" Tweek replies. 

"I really didn't, but I'll do everything I can to help you rebuild it" Craig asserts, giving Tweeks hand a kiss. It would probably be too painful for Tweek at the moment for Craig to kiss his lips or cheeks. 

  
"Thank you. Do you remember where my  _ -nnn- _ mom went?" Tweek asks. The moment is already over. Craig smiles with fond amusement. He knows that the road ahead will be difficult, but Tweek will always be Tweek and Craig will always be here for him. 

**Author's Note:**

> My tumblr is blesspastacraig if you wanna be friends


End file.
